Across the country, libraries, schools, community centres, arts centres, and homes — maybe even your home — will be hosting events and reading children’s books. It’s a great excuse to read a book with your child, if you need one.

On this edition of Just One More Book, Mark speaks with Margaret Eaton, President of the ABC Canada Literacy Foundation about literacy and this year’s Family Literacy Day.

“He (Trelease) suggested that we need some sort of national campaignto inform people all over the country of the importance of exposing their kids to more words every day, and encouraging them to enjoy reading. He gave an analogy to the campaign that was used to successfully cut the incidence of smoking in this country by 50% over 40 years, a combination of informing people, scaring people, and insulting people, and thinks that we need to try something similar in American homes re: reading.”

More statistics and literacy tidbits referenced by Mark in this interview can be found here:

Great interview, Mark and Andrea! Thanks for referencing my Jim Trelease quote. Of course with the “informing, scaring, insulting” he was talking specifically about the importance of parents reading aloud to their kids, not about adult literacy in general. But I completely agree with Margaret that showing the success of literacy and literacy programs is the way to go. That’s where the “informing” as far as reading aloud goes, too. If all parents realized how critical it is to their children’s future success for them to read aloud to them every day… I think that would go a long way. And then, of course, helping the parents who have difficulty reading to their kids is key.

Anyway, I think it’s amazing that Canada has a National Family Literacy Day, and I appreciate you bringing it to people’s attention through this interview. Thanks!